Actors Get Your Resume Together

So, you've gotten your headshots done and now you need a resume to go on the back. But you have an important question. What should the resume look like. How should it read.

Click on this example for what a resume should look like.

Basically here are the simple rules.

1. You should have your name, address, height, weight, eye color and any of your union affiliation in the upper part of the resume. This should be centered or, to the right if you are putting your agent's logo on the resume.

Under that everything else should be left justified.

2. Start with your Film and television experience. You'll want to have three columns here. The First is the name of the production. Put this all in caps. The next column over will be what part you played. If it's an unknown production, just put LEAD, or SUPPORTING, in the column. Finally the last column will be the production company that made the television program or film. If it's a well known production company then list it. If it isn't just put "Independent". Additionally, after the production company if there's a Director that you feel like it would be important to list then list him/her after the production company.

Next comes your Theater experience. Same drill as above with regard to the name of the production, your part and the production company. Only this time in that column - put the theater where it played - instead of the production company.

Next will be your training. Here this will most likely be two columns. And it its where you trained and the type of training that it was and the coach and/or school.

Then, you'll put your special skills. Be sure that these really are special skills. "Running" is not a special skill. "fluent in French" is a special skill. But don't be shy either. If you're a great swimmer - put that in.

That should really be it.

What if I don't have any credits?

This is another one of those catch-22's. How can I put together a resume if I don't have any credits. This is where you need to be creative - and really start to do work.

Obviously when you start out you won't have any Film and Television credits - but you might have some community theater or even school credits. Or, put on your own show - and invite people to it. Audition for things. Take classes. This will start to build your resume. Start by building credits of any kind. The whole idea here is to work work work.

Finally, don't put your resume on fancy or colored paper. Simple white paper, stapled in the corners to the back of your headshot is just fine. Remember to size the paper with the size of your headshot. Don't leave that 1/2 inch of paper dangling over your 8X10 picture. Trim the excess so that it's a nice neat package.